Of Pirate and Ribbons
by Magma Red
Summary: We all know that Woolbeard lost his beard ribbon, and that Xavia stole it. But how'd it all happen, anyhow?


The Sky was it's dark, midnight color with the stars and moon over head, they shining down onto the black water, which lapped against the hull of a large ship. It had three masts and fifty cannons on two decks, black sails, with a Jolly Rodger barely moving from the soft wind. Men on watch walked about the ship, one up in the crow's nest, spyglass in hand, watching the horizon.

Meanwhile, down in the Captain's Quarters, a man with a thick, fluffy beard that came to about his knees perhaps, was asleep in his bed, snoring. Under the bed was a locked drawer, which held his most prized possession in it. On the table laid his pistol and sword, along side a small chest, filled with gold and jewels.

"CAPTAIN!"

"Gunarlge-snock! What?!" The man exclaims, shooting up in bed. "What, what's wrong?!"

"We've spotted a ship, and it's baring down on us! FAST!" The sailor replies, his voice echoing through the message tube that ran from the captains quarters up to the ship's wheel.

"I'm coming! Have the men get the cannons ready!" The man yells, jumping into his boots, pulling on his blue coat, jamming his head into his hat, buckling on his sword and sticking his pistol into his belt, then running out of his quarters and out onto the deck, then up onto the quarter deck. "Are the men ready?"

"Waiting for your order, Captain Woolbeard!" The sailor replies, Woolbeard taking a spy glass out of his coat, and looking through it at the approaching ship.

Aye, it was FAST.

But it was a beautiful ship, triple masted, with near seventy-five cannons on three decks, over two hundred feet long, the white paint looking like silver from the light, the gold trimming standing out slightly from the light hitting it, while dark red and black paint covered it as well, the dark sails filled with the wind.

Dark red.

_Oh...NO..._ Woolbeard thinks, lowering the Spy glass. Against the white, painted with a dark color was the ship's name.

_Dark Ruby_

"The _Dark Ruby_..." Woolbeard says, the deck going silent, his men looking up at him. "The ship of the Pirate Queen!"

"What do we do?!" One of the men asks.

"Man ye posts, me men!" Woolbeard bellows. "Thar ain't one ship we haven't lost to, and this ain't going to be the first!" He looks back at the rapidly approaching ship, the stories being true.

It was said the Dark Ruby was the fastest ship in the world. Anything that was it's target never got away, never. He had heard stories of the captain, the Pirate Queen. She wielded a sword as well as if it were her own arm, her accuracy with a pistol was unmatched - one time even shot the lamp next to a man's head, despite the fact they were just coming from the horizon (Woolbeard always said it was a myth) - was fast, agile, and was down right good at taunting. She was smart and quick, and that made her deadly.

"Get ready to fire!" Woolbeard yells, the men getting ready.

The only sound was of waves.

"Ready..."

The men watched the ship, wondering of the stories were true.

"Aim..."

It was coming closer, the lights on board the _Dark Ruby_ winking in the dark.

"FI-"

The sound of glass shattering suddenly fills the air, then a man's yelp, Woolbeard looking to see one of the lanterns had been hit, a man having been startled by the sudden flames, he now stamping it out.

"It's true!" One man shrieks. "The Pirate Queen really can shoot a lantern from the horizon!"

"The ship ain't at the horizon, ye scalawag!" Woolbeard yells.

But it was still an impressive distance.

"FIRE!" He yells, the boom of canons hitting the air, the black spheres flying through the dark air, not a single one hitting the ship. It was strange, they almost seemed to curve around it.

Almost.

"What're ye up to, Queen?" Wool beard mutters. "What do ye want with me ship...FIRE!"

The roar of canon fire again booms through the air, the canon balls again missing the ship; an unnatural occurrence, the Dark Ruby getting closer each second, the crew now able to see the figures of the men on board. They had their swords drawn, men holding to the rat lines and others standing on the platforms of the masts.

"FIRE!" Woolbeard bellows, the cannons firing again, not one hitting the ship.

"She's bearing down on us, cap'n!" The man at the wheel says, Woolbeard drawing his sword.

"PREPARE TO BOARD!" He yells, the _Dark Ruby_ turning starboard, then coming right up to the side of the ship, the sky beginning to light as the stars slowly faded.

Bottles suddenly flew through the air, hitting the deck and causing smoke to fill the air as they shattered, Woolbeard unable to see past the mizzen mast, while men from the _Dark Ruby _jumped aboard, the clang of swords filling the air as Woolbeard jumped into the smoke, two men jumping at him, swords drawn. He blocks their attack, then slashes at them, they jumping back, a third man jumping over them. He slashes at the Pirate Captain, Woolbeard blocking, then kicking his feet out from under him, about to stab the man when he rolls on his side, running off into the thinning smoke.

Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted one of the men from the _Dark Ruby _running across the deck, treasure chest under his arm.

"Oh no, ye buccaneer!" Woolbeard yells, charging the man, who then uses the chest to block the blow, Woolbeard about to bring the blade down on his head when the man throws the chest over his head, Woolbeard watching as it landed in the arms of another man from the _Dark Ruby,_ who then grabbed a rope and swung back across. "YOU SEA-DOG!" He roars, looking back at the first man, who put his thumbs in his ears, his other fingers stretched out.

"PPFFFFFFFFFFFTTTTTHHHH!" He goes, particles of slobber flying into the captains face, the man then running off, Woolbeard pulling out his pistol, aiming and firing.

The bullet hit the man, but nothing happened.

Not even a mark.

_What in Davy Jones' Locker..._ He thinks, then noticing another man charging him, he raising his sword to block.

**KA-BOOM!**

The sound of shattering glass fills the air, followed by the _snap! snap! snap! _Of ropes and the crackling of flames reaches the ears of the men, all halting to see the main mast had somehow caught fire, and was falling right toward the _Dark Ruby,_ the sails ablaze and ropes burning, like a beacon in the dark.

It hit the _Dark __Ruby,_ but no visible damage was caused, not even the flames.

_What witchcraft is THIS?! _Woolbeard thinks, looking back at the fight to see only his crew had been injured, while the _Dark Ruby _men were fine. _How is this possible?! _

More men from the enemy ship were running across the deck, arms filled with treasures and big smiles on their faces, Woolbeard charging at them, not about to let them steal _his_ treasure.

"THE PIRATE QUEEN!" Someone yells, everyone halting again to see a single figure walking across the burning mast, Woolbeard only able to make out a person of short stature.

He turns to face them, pulling out his pistol and aiming, when the figure raised their own, and fired.

The bullet shot the pistol right out of his hand, the shock from it numbing his hand as the now broken fire arm flew through the air, landing on the deck with a clatter.

All eyes were on the figure.

"Who gave ye..." Woolbeard starts, raising his sword again. "permission to board _my _ship?!"

"..." The figure steps forward, so that their face was visible.

It was a _child._

About three feet in height, with hair darker than the black sea, cut to about two inches on the right side of her head, while on the left half it fell to her shoulder, her right ear having a gold ring in it. She wore a brown over coat with the ends of the sleeves folded, a white shirt with the first two buttons undone, her collar sticking up on the right side. her pants were dark brown and baggy, being tucked into black boots that came to the middle of her lower legs. The belt around her waist held a pistol and a sheathed sword, while a belt that went over her shoulder had a pistol stuck in the front, and another sword across her back. She was left handed, due to the fact the sword at her hip was on her right and the pistol on the left, her fingers adorned with rings.

Her skin was fair, she having freckles across her nose and cheek bones, with big, deep brown eyes flecked with gold. A red bandana was tied around her head, a dark brown tricorn over it.

"I'm the Pirate Queen, I do what I want!" She tells him, smiling.

"This'll be the last ye do!" Woolbeard roars, charging at her with his sword drawn, she drawing the one at her hip and blocking the blow with amazing ease, then pushing Woolbeard back, his hat falling off his head as he hit the deck. He opens his furious eyes and again charges at the girl, who sidesteps the swipe and jumps back from a stab, then parrying a blow and slashing back at him. She had amazing skill for such a small, young person, but that didn't matter. He had to teach her a lesson for coming aboard _his _ship, stealing _his_ treasure, and knocking him down. They fought, the clangs of their swords lost among all the others, they slowly going up to the quarter deck, and across it, hacking and slashing.

"Give up, child!" Woolbeard bellows, attempting to cleave her head, only to have her sidestep.

"Never, fuzz face!" She tells him with a wicked smile on her face, the drawing her second sword, and doing a series of slashes at him, he stepping back to avoid them, when she jumps at him, slashes, and goes over his head, landing in a crouch.

"HA! You missed!" He laughs.

He suddenly felt lighter.

Feeling something brush against his bare legs, he looks down to see that his beard from his mid chest down had been cut straight across.

"..."

Slowly looking back up, he sees the child standing and looking over her shoulder at him, the wicked smile still on her face, she raising an eyebrow.

"...YE...DID _NOT...CUT **MY**_ BEARD..." He growls, anger filling his every being.

"..." She raises the other brow. "Well I just did, didn't I fuzz face?"

Releasing a roar of complete, utter enragement, he charges at her, she jumping back and running down the stairs, and opening the door that lead down into the ship interior, Woolbeard running after her, yelling the various ways he was going to slay, maim, slaughter, butcher and violently kill her, then blow her ship to pieces, when she runs into a room, slamming the door right in his face, so that his nose slammed into it.

"OOW!" He roars, grabbing his nose. "My nose..."

Meanwhile, in the room...

The Pirate Queen sets a board of wood in the doorway, then sticks a chair under the knob, to keep Woolbeard from coming in, then looks around the room, a wide smile forming on her face.

"Ha ha! Look at all this!" She says to herself, then grabbing the treasures that adorned the room, even the various hats which she stacked on top of her own, putting the valuables into the chest on the table, the locked drawer under the bed catching her eye.

"Ah~ What's in this then?" Kneeling down, she takes out the key she had cut off from Woolbeard's belt, using it to unlock the drawer. In it was a small, wooden chest with gold going around it, small jewels in the gold. As well in the drawer was bags of coins, and a ring with a blue sapphire that had a ship wheel carved into it. Sticking the ring on her thumb, she puts the bags of coins into her various coat pockets, and grabs the box, then dashes of to the desk, looking through various drawers, finding jewelry, more coins, statuettes, bejeweled goblets and a bottle of fine wine.

Setting a goblet and a regular glass onto the desk top, she opens the bottle of wine, pours a clear substance into it, removing the alcohol, then pours the wine into the goblet and glass. Taking the quill from the ink jar and a piece of paper, she writes a note, drinks down the wine in the goblet, then puts it into the larger treasure chest, which was nearly overflowing, the Pirate Queen just able to get it shut.

The door bursts open, the chair flying across the room and the board breaking, Woolbeard seeing her, his sword in hand. She had necklaces of pearls, as well as silver and gold that had jewels around her neck, more rings adorned her fingers, she had several hats on her head, pockets bulging with coins and small gems, a treasure chest under one arm and a smaller one from the locked drawer under the other.

"GIVE ME THAT TREASURE CHEST!" He roars, charging at her, sword in the air, not wanting her to escape with his prized possession that was within it. She ducks the attack, and, despite being weighed down, runs past him and out the door, the rising rays of the sun beginning to light the room. "DON'T LET HER GET AWAY, MEN! STOP HER!" Coming to the top deck, the _Dark Ruby _crew men had escaped onto their ship, the burning mast gone, having fallen into the sea, and the enemy ship still perfectly intact and a yard arm away, the men watching their captain anxiously, worried for her.

"FIFTY THOUSAND GOLD TO WHICHEVER MAN GETS HER!" Woolbeard roars, the crew about to descend on her when a cannon fires, the men ducking as it flies over head.

"Come on Captain!" One of the enemy men yells, the Pirate Queen at the railing, jumping into the air and-

"GOT YE!" Woolbeard yells, gabbing the small person. "I'll make ye pay for-" The smaller chest suddenly flies through the air, one of the enemy catching it, the Pirate Queen pulling out a dagger, kicking Woolbeard's knee. Releasing her and a roar of pain, he jumps back, grabbing that knee. Looking up, he saw the Pirate Queen standing on the ship railing, the rising sun to her back, Woolbeard unsheathing his sword and slashing at her once more. She jumps, landing on the sword so it was pinned down, she slashing at him with the dagger.

Sudden pain made Woolbeard roar and fall back, grabbing his eye with his hands.

"Cap'n! Cap'n!" His men yelled, he feeling them get him to sit up, the ship doctor prying his hands off from the wound. Opening his left eye, he saw the man examining the wound.

"I'm sorry...You've been blinded in that one. I'll have to remove it." The man says.

Even more anger fills him.

That _CHILD _had just come on _his ship_, cut _his beard_, stole _his treasure,_ made off with _his prized possession_, severely damaged _his ship_, and now blinded him in one eye.

Standing, he pushes his way to the railing, reaches into his coat, unwraps a bottle that had some substance in it, and threw it as hard as he could. It flies through the air, a man on the Quarter deck of the _Dark Ruby_ looking, and saw it flying at the captain.

"Look out!" He yells, grabbing the child and pulling her out of the way, the glass shattering and the substance only getting on her legs.

"_CURSE YE, PIRATE QUEEN!"_ Woolbeard roars, the crew and captain of the _Dark Ruby_ turning head to look at him, men going into the quarter deck to see better. _"IF YE EVER RETURN TO THESE WATERS, KNOW THAT IF A DROP TOUCHES YE SKIN, YE'LL BE TURNED INTO A CREATURE OF THE SEA!" _

"..." She says nothing, some of the men getting looks of anger on their face at Woolbeard.

On the _Dark Ruby..._

"What does he mean, 'creature of sea'?!" One crew member asks.

"I'll go over there and cut off the rest of his beard!" Another says, raising his sword. "AND his little round head!"

"Don't worry, men." The Pirate Queen tells them. "There's no such thing."

"Cap'n!" All looking, one of the crew members comes running up, holding the small chest from the locked drawer in his hands. "I used the skeleton key you gave me to open it!"

"Good work!" She tells him, smiling, he smiling with pride at her praise.

"Anyhow, there's a bit of a...downside..." He says, opening the chest to show the inside was lined with velvet, the prized possession of Woolbeard the Pirate sitting in it.

"...That's it?" A crew member asks. "...What's it worth to us, Captain?"

"..." The Pirate Queen smiles. "A lot of fun."

Back with Woolbeard...arrrr...

"They've stopped moving, cap'n." A crew member says, sticking his head into the door of the infirmary, where the ship's doctor was cleaning his tools for removing Woolbeard's injuried eye.

"Hm..." He hums.

**_"OI! FUZZ FACE!"_**Turning to look out the open port hole, he raises his spy glass to his good eye, seeing the Pirate Queen standing on the railing of the quarter deck, the back of the ship facing them while the first mate - the man who had pulled her out of the way - stood beside her, looking through a spy glass. Words are exchanged, the first mate moving towards the wheel, holding up three fingers...then two...then one...

**_"WE GOT A FANCY BOX! WE GOT A FANCY BOX! WE GOT A FANCY BOX! AND GUESS WHAT'S INSIDE IT!"_ **The entire crew roars, the ship then continuing on it's way, Woolbeard dropping his eyeglass.

_..._ He says nothing, but looks back forward, fists clenching. _I'll see to yar doom, Pirate Queen, and the sinking of your ship..._

Turning his head, he looked at the note one of his men had brought him, which had a small glass of fine wine on top of it.

_A toast to your defeat!_

_-Xavia, the Queen of Pirates_

* * *

A few years later...

Finally.

How long had he waited? How long had he prepared? It didn't matter now, the Pirate queen and her crew were coming, and he would see her ship to the bottom of the ocean. He would reclaim his prized possession. Nothing would stop him.

His ship floated near in the bay of an uncharted island, the way to the ocean having small peninsulas. He liked this place, unknown, and he had found an interesting object on the beach. It was tall and skinny, a sandy-gold color with strange blue markings all over it.

He knew the Pirate Queen would want it.

He had sent some of his men out, they going to a harbor where the _Dark Ruby _had been docked, spreading whispers or the idol Woolbeard had.

She had to take the bait. She HAD to...

...But things don't always go as planned.

"CAPTAIN!"

"SN-GAH WHAT?!" Woolbeard exclaims, shooting up in his bed, then looking at the message tube. "What?! What's wrong?!"

"Th-the _Dark Ruby! _IT'S HERE!" The man yells, Woolbeard hearing a cannon fire.

He pulled on his trousers, jammed his feet into his boots, pulled on his coat, buckled on his belt, and grabbed his hat as he ran out the door, eye patch over his missing eye.

_This wasn't supposed to happen! _He thinks, cannons booming like thunder, able to hear the wood of the ship being blasted to splinters. _They shouldn't of been here for another week! _

He made it to the deck, and saw the enemy ship now coming towards them, the first rays of dawn washing over it.

"FIRE THE CANNONS!" He roars, the men firing them, only to have the spheres miss the _Dark Ruby._

He was right.

They _did _curve around the ship, like some invisible shield prevented it.

_WHAT WITCHCRAFT IS THIS?!_

"Captain!" Men swung on board, The Pirate Queen among them, their swords drawn and going right into battle with Woolbeards men.

"So we meet-"

"OUT OF MY WAY, FUZZ FACE!" She roars, jumping right over him and running into the interior of the ship.

"Not this time!" He yells running after her, amazed at how fast she could run with such short legs. He followed her only to find the door to his cabin wide open, he charging in to see her holding the idol. "You won't take that from me!"

"You idiot!" She yells looking at him. "This can't leave this bay!"

"...What?"

"This can't leave here! It has to stay!"

"HA! And why should I listen to you, you thieving brat?!"

"Listen," She tells him, her voice low. "I don't care if you believe me or not, but _centuries _from now, this idol will be worth far, far, far, _far _more than you could ever imagine. The whole world will rest on it, and if it is taken at the wrong time, this world _WILL be destroyed."_

"Children and their imaginings." Woolbeard chuckles, the Pirate Queen scowling.

"Well, since you don't believe me, I'm taking it." She tells him.

"That's what ye-"

"In exchange for this." She pulls a small chest from the inside of her coat, the edges line with jewel studded gold, Woolbeard's jaw dropping and almost dropping his sword.

"...It's...It's in thar...?"

"What use do we have of it?" She asks.

"I've searched all the sea for it!" He exclaims, joy over coming him, the Pirate Queen tossing it to him, he dropping his sword and catching it, opening the box with shaking hands to see his prized possession still laid on the velvet lining. "I have it back! I have my-"

_CRASH!_

"...What was that?" He asks.

"...I...believe your ship is sinking."

"WHAT?!"

"You wouldn't stop firing at us! We only fire if you fire!" She tells him. "And since it _is _sinking," She throws the idol at him, it slamming into him, he falling to the floor. "You can keep that! It needs to stay here!"

He was confused, water suddenly broke through the floor boards, it filling the room at a shocking rate, The Pirate Queen climbing through a porthole.

"What is so important about this?!"

"..." Her face popped up, Woolbeard straning his neck to keep his head above the water, he being pinned down by a fallen beam.

"...I will tell you this, and this is the truth: Long from now, you will haunt this ship, and two children will find it, and a third will join them later on. You will ask a task of them, and they will do it in exchange for the idol, as they need it for their adventure. At the time they will be unaware it is required to destroy a horrid monster that will threaten this planet. Captain Woolbeard, wait for the boy with the sapphire eyes."

She was gone.

Another blast of water suddenly came, the chest that held his prized possession torn from his hands.

* * *

A _VERY _long time later...

Two men walked along the beach, sun high in the sky, the each having ice cream cones and red uniforms, the red coats tied around their waists.

"This is nice, eh?" One of them asks.

"Indeed it is, Tom." The other replies. "It's nice to have a day off, take a calming stroll on the beach, and enjoy some ice cream."

"That is is, Tim." Tom replies. "Say, did you hear about that new fighter? Red, I think his name was."

"Oh yeah." Tim says, then grinning. "I also understand that he and Ms. Rosetta became fast friends."

"Mr. Richmond may have to count on a new relative!" Tom laughs, his friend doing the same.

"And he's a good boy, too. Caught that Dino Medal thief!" Tim says, Tom then snickering.

"I over heard Ms. Rosetta telling Mr. Richmond about that, saying how brave and nice he was." He says, the two laughing more. "After Mr. Richmond met him, he mentioned to her that he _was _a handsome boy, what with his sapphire eyes and all!"

"I bet she blushed the same color as her hair!" The two laugh more, Tom then tripping and falling, dropping his ice cream.

"NO!" He yells. "My ice cream..._RUUUUUUINED!" _

"Hey, look at this!" Tim says, Tom forgetting the ice cream and looking at his colleague who had dug up a small chest. It was covered in damp slime - from being under water, no doubt - which had probably been kept damp from being buried by sand. The wood was very old and worn, the edges looking to be made of some metal that had become lackluster from age, random dips in it, probably small jewels that had fallen out.

"We have to get this to Mr. Richmond!" Tom says.

Later...

"How peculiar..." Mr. Richmond says, looking over the box, sitting in his desk chair. "Where did you find this?"

"On the beach, Mr. Richmond." Tim tell him, they wearing their coats again.

"Hm...Could you get me a case opener?" Mr. Richmond asks, Tim rushing to get one, coming back a moment later with it.

"We'll open it, sir." He says, Tom holding the box, Tim sticking the end of the case opener in the slit between the top and bottom, then pulling up and down several times before it opened a bit. They then forcing it the rest of the way open.

"...Amazing." Mr. Richmond says, they allowing him to look in the box.

"What is it, sir?" Tom asks.

"Jewels? Gold?" Tim asks.

"..." Mr. Richmond holds up a pink-purple ribbon. "A beard ribbon."

"...Sir?" Two two men ask in unison.

"Well, if recall correctly, the pirate Woolbeard's ship was sunk in Bottom's Up Bay. He had a ribbon that was very important to him and was stolen during a battle with the Pirate Queen. This is it!"

"..." The two men drop the box.

"...What kind of person want a _beard ribbon?"_ Tom asks.

"And who goes through all that trouble? Is it really worth _that much?"_

* * *

"And so, that is why I can't go swimming in the Levo Sea, and why Woolbeard hates me.." Xavia finishes.

"..." Todd, Pauleen, and Rupert all sit there.

"...You...never actually said why you can't go in the water." Todd tells her.

"Weren't you listening?" Xavia asks him. "Woolbeard put a curse on me, that whenever a drop of water from this sea touches my skin, I turn into a creature of the sea. It only applies to my lower half, since that's what the substance got on."

"What diga-do you turn into?" Pauleen asks.

"You wouldn't believe me if I told you, and if I show you, you'd faint."

"...Well, it was still and interesting story." Rupert says.

"Oh yeah? You should hear about the time I went on the Dinaurian star ship to keep the world from being destroyed by war."

**_LE END~!_**

* * *

**AN-So, this is Xavia telling the Patrol Team why Woolbeard hates her, and why she can't go into the Levo Sea. (In our world, it'd be the Caribbean)**

**So, yes, Xavia was cursed by Woolbeard because she stole his ribbon. I mean, he went haywire and attempted to kill the BB Bandit Trio when they brought him a fake one, so it'd make since he'd do that when Xavia stole it.**

**...So, yeah.**

**Leave a review! :D**


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